I really would like to see another team at the top this weekend however the sheer straight line speed of the Mercedes will be difficult to topple. I do believe that Red Bull have at last some power to challenge for the upper steps of the podium but it will not be enough at Spa.

Hamilton is unlikely to win, given his probable enormous engine penalties. Which brings me to a question: if he's faster in qualifying but gets relegated to 22nd because he's putting in every new part he can fit, does that count (for this guessing game) as 'pole'?

Well, this IS interesting. As far as I can see if you are fastest in Q3, you win the pole. Penalties are assigned AFTER Qualifying, so whoever "inherits" Lewis' pole is MOST DEFINITELY NOT the "pole winner"; he's the default pole. But we DO need a clarification of the 10npole rules here. The fact that FOM wants to fiddle with racing rather than limiting itself to financial and other matters DOESN'T mean they are allowed to assign winners (or indeed, award ANY finishing position. Otherwise you don't have racing; you have fiddling and rules gaming.

So I'm picking Lewis to actually win the pole (and then graciously give the position to his junior partner.) As good as Lewis is and as much as I will be pleased beyond measure if he wins his third Spa, I think there are too many 'wide' cars in the field for him to manage it (specifically Verstappen, Ricciardo, Vettel & Raikkonen). Of course, if he only had to beat little Nico, it would only take him 10 of 15 laps to force an error from his partner and zoom away.

That settled: here are me picks

1. Rosberg; he's driving one of the two best machines and, so long as he doesn't mess up the start, he should have a comfortable race.
2. Verstappen; he's got the gift, but I can't see the Tag Heur having enough horses to set up and pass Nico.
3. Ricciardo; these two positiong may well be reversed by circumstances
4. Hamilton should make it this far and keep Rosberg's point spread as low as possible
5. Hulkenberg is hungry and he has a Merc; enough said.
6. Vettel should be crafty enough to make up for the lousy handling of this year's red sled
7. Raikkonen likewise (and, if he get's a good start he may well be right behind Hamilton at the end
8. Perez should bring the other Force India into the points.
9. Button; I'm pulling for Jense to get lucky, but it's me heart not be brain puts him in the points barely
10. Grosjean; again, my heart is hoping for a point for Haas.

In 10 'n' Pole as with its earlier incarnations 8 'n' Pole and 6 'n' Pole, the pole position is who starts on pole and not who sets pole.

Let me clarify the reasoning, there may be a number of reasons as to why the pole setter was stripped of pole, the reasons could be due to driver infringement, technical penalty or a bit of both.

Yes it is true that pole should go to the fastest driver out there but sometimes it is not clear cut and we needed to give clarity in the competition.

Here are a few cases;
- A driver sets pole then stops on the track preventing others from going faster. He is the pole setter but then is relegated to the back
- A drivers sets pole then runs out of fuel. He is disqualified and is relegated to the back
- A driver sets pole but is later found out to have blocked another driver and is given a 5 grid penalty
- A driver has a penalty from a previous race and has to take a 10 place grid penalty
- And there are the technical penalties like gearbox or engine where again say a driver crashes in practice and damages his gearbox, he is penalised for the change and drops 5 places. Now that is his fault not a team fault.